Effect of Priming on Seed Quality of Soybean [<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merrill] Varieties at Assosa, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Benishagul state of Ethiopia is a potential place for soybean seed production but, seed quality production is the major problem under this place. So that, the use of seed priming techniques before seed sowing has been the best solution to overcome seed quality problem. Experiment was carried out at Haramaya University seed science laboratory. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of priming on seed quality of soybean varieties. The experiment had three varieties (Belessa95, Wello and Gishama), three priming types [GA3 (100PPM), KH2PO4 (50 PP) and water] and three priming durations (0, 6, 12 hours) were evaluated using a randomized complete block design for field experiment. Seed were harvested and seed quality analysis was tested at laboratory by using completely Randomized Design in three replications. The result of the study showed that highly significant (P≤0.01) difference between interaction of varieties by, priming type and soaking durations for Seedling dry weight, seedling vigor index-2, speed of germination, Electrical conductivity and field emergence index and significant (P≤0.05) difference for seedling vigor index-1 were observed. Varieties by priming type interaction showed highly significant (P≤0.01) difference for seedling dry weight, seedling vigor index-2, speed of germination, electrical conductivity and field emergence index. The highest shoot length were observed for Belessa95 varieties primed with GA3 (16.31cm) and the highest root length were observed for Belessa95 varieties (6.98cm) and seed primed with water (7.22cm). The highest seedling dry weight was recorded when Belessa95 variety primed with water for 12hr (250 gm). The highest seedling vigor index1 was recorded when Gishema variety primed with KH2PO4 for 6hr (2202.20), the highest seedling vigor index2 was recorded when Belessa95 variety primed with water for 12hr (23673) and the highest Speed of Germination was recorded when Wello variety primed with water for 6hr (42.89). Colletotrichum dematium, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium spp, Alternaria spp, Tricodormal spp, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp, Cladosporium spp, Curvularia lunata, Rhizoctonia bataticola, Rhizopus spp, Macrophomina spp, yeast, Chaetomium spp, Sphacelomia glycines and Xanthomonas campestri were disease identified from seed sample. Soybean varieties primed with water and GA3 priming medias exhibited the better results in improving seed quality followed by KH2PO4. Hence, Water priming was recommended to user to overcome the problems of poor crop emergence and establishments under adverse environmental condition.